1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle wheel mounting assemblies generally, and includes improvements in mountings for front steerable wheels for front wheel drive vehicles.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The presently known prior art for vehicle wheels of driven type is represented by Asberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,511 of June 8, 1971. Coaley British Patent No. 1,298,552 of Dec. 6, 1972, and Otto U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,986 of Mar. 8, 1977. In these examples the bearing which carries the load is composed of many parts which require careful machining to obtain the necessary fit so the engine drive will allow the wheel to turn easily and provide the desired caster and camber alignment. Furthermore, the assemblies are complicated and intricate which adds cost and makes replacement of worn parts expensive in both parts and labor.
Prior to the appearance of the foregoing prior art, a patent of Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,982 issued Apr. 21, 1936 disclosed a bearing assembly adapted to an engine driven wheel as well as a trailing or follower wheel. In a similar disclosure British patent No. 1,254,553 issued Nov. 24, 1971 for a trailing or follower wheel bearing assembly. A more recent patent of Asberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,885 of Dec. 17, 1985 has disclosed a ball joint associated with a hub bearing.
The problems with the foregoing prior art assemblies are that the assemblies are composed of many individual parts that fit together in a complicated manner which makes the assembly and disassembly difficult, and when repair is needed the parts may be found frozen in place due to exposure to dirt, water and foreign matter picked up from road environment sources.